Tag: read

Read This: US and EU negotiating free trade pact to unify global auto safety regulations

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Read This

Safety and emissions regulations have long been touchy subjects in the auto industry, because they can dictate the legality of automobiles and are not the same from country to country. Fragmented regulations add costs to vehicle sales, and they inhibit the ability of automakers to offer the same products around the globe.

The US and EU are attempting to improve the situation with Free Trade Agreement negotiations that started this month in Washington, D.C., Wards Auto reports, which are expected to result in a deal that pushes the global auto industry toward a world vehicle-regulatory system, with an emphasis on safety requirements.

Thoughts of mandatory sealed-beam headlights and 100+pound impact bumpers – both of which were products of fragmented global vehicle-regulatory systems – still give us headaches decades later, so here’s to hoping the FTA negotiations help unify safety regulations to some degree.

Be sure to read the article for all the details on the trade negotiations, and feel free to comment below.

US and EU negotiating free trade pact to unify global auto safety regulations originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: How Google unwittingly busted a Chinese car theft ring

Filed under: China, Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Technology

Google China sign

Technology giant Google is a regular in headlines across the world, mostly for innovative hardware and online products, but this is the first time we’ve caught wind of the company stopping crime. A fascinating writeup on The Verge tells the story of Google doing just that – in China no less.

Sophisticated and non-stop anti-fraud measures used by Google’s AdWords to protect consumers from online scammers are at the heart of the story here. It seems that over the course of revising its security software back in 2010, Google started to see advertisements for normal-looking used car ads in China that had been flagged for removal.

As it turns out, the company’s algorithm for detecting fraud had stumbled upon a fairly long-standing practice of car theft within China. Thieves would take a photo of a random car on the street, use the photo to place an ad online, then steal the car before selling it to an unwitting buyer. The Verge article dives in to the hows and whys behind this unlikely method of halting (or at least attempting to halt) auto-theft in the far flung country – click through and enjoy the read.

How Google unwittingly busted a Chinese car theft ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: Is it time for American carmakers to give up on dual-clutch transmissions? [w/poll]

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Chrysler, Ford, Read This

Dual-clutch transmissions in plant

Last week, in the midst of Detroit’s first days seeking relief in Chapter 9 of the bankruptcy code, Automotive News contributor Larry P. Vellequette penned an editorial suggesting that American car companies raise the white flag on dual clutch transmissions and give up on trying to persuade Americans to buy cars fitted with them. Why? Because, Vellequette says, like CVT transmissions, they “just don’t sound right or feel right to American drivers.” (Note: In the article, it’s not clear if Vellequette is arguing against wet-clutch and dry-clutch DCTs or just dry-clutch DCTs, which is what Ford and Chrysler use.) The article goes on to state that Ford and Chrysler have experimented with DCTs and that both consumers and the automotive press haven’t exactly given them glowing reviews, despite their quicker shifts and increased fuel efficiency potential compared to torque-converter automatic transmissions.

Autoblog staffers who weighed in on the relevance of DCTs in American cars generally disagreed with the blanket nature of Vellequette’s statement that they don’t sound or feel right, but admit that their lack of refinement compared to traditional automatics can be an issue for consumers. That’s particularly true in workaday cars like the Ford Focus and Dodge Dart, both of which have come in for criticism in reviews and owner surveys. From where we sit, the higher-performance orientation of such transmissions doesn’t always meld as well with the marching orders of everyday commuters (particularly if drivers haven’t been educated as to the transmission’s benefits and tradeoffs), and in models not fitted with paddle shifters, it’s particularly hard for drivers to use a DCT to its best advantage.

Finally, we also note that DCT tuning is very much an evolving science. For instance, Autoblog editors who objected to dual-clutch tuning in the Dart have more recently found the technology agreeable in the Fiat 500L. Practice makes perfect – or at least more acceptable.

What do you think? Vote in our poll below, then have your say in Comments.

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Is it time for American carmakers to give up on dual-clutch transmissions? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: Wired editor to live with EV bike for six months

Filed under: Motorcycle, Electric

2013 Zero DS ZF 11.4 electric motorcycle in yellow

Wired Autopia honcho and Autoblog alum Damon Lavrinc is finished with the internal combustion engine. And four wheels. And a closed cabin in which to commute. For the next six months, Lavrinc will be staring Range Anxiety right in its cold, dead (battery) eyes, while splitting lanes and commuting through San Francisco on a long-term-test 2013 Zero DS ZF 11.4 electric motorcycle.

In reality, the latest creation from Zero is probably about as good as it gets in terms of EV bikes to live with (not that riders are spoiled for choice in that segment). The electric motor kicks out 54 horsepower and 68 pound-feet of torque, so power won’t be an issue in the hilly Bay Area, and max range of 126 miles from the 11.4 kWh battery pack is more than reasonable.

Lavrinc isn’t so over-the-moon for Zero that he doesn’t see potential drawbacks to the arrangement: “Big ones,” he mentions, “Death, for example.” Which should all make for a very compelling series of real-world reviews. We suggest clicking through to Autopia to read Damon’s own explanation for beginning this adventure, listening to Autoblog Podcast #338 where he reveals his plans as a guest on our show, and following along with updates as the months unfold. We will be.

Wired editor to live with EV bike for six months originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: Jeep Cherokee name revival reignites question of cultural insensitivity [w/poll]

Filed under: SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Jeep, Off-Road

2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk - front three-quarter view

The New York Times has published a new story that tackles the issue of ethnically charged product naming, this time in the auto industry. The paper dusts off the discourse because Chrysler has resurrected the Jeep Cherokee moniker for its latest model. Writer Glenn Collins uses the new Jeep as a jumping off point for a merry stroll through the auto industry’s history of culturally insensitive and/or politically incorrect names and advertising.

In the piece, Chrysler representatives say that reusing the Cherokee name isn’t meant to offend anyone, noting that the company hasn’t received any feedback about the name being disparaging. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma has said that the group opposes stereotypes and applauds sports teams and schools for dropping offensive mascots, but has stopped short of criticizing the Jeep Cherokee based on its name. Officially, the Cherokee Nation has no stance on the matter, but spokesman Amanda Clinton says “it would have been nice for them to have consulted us in the very least.”

It’s worth noting that “Cherokee” has been an active Jeep product name for decades now (through its more upscale Grand Cherokee range), and the company has long shied away from the sort of imagery and caricatures that have come under fire in the sporting world and elsewhere (e.g. Major League Baseball’s Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians). Here on Autoblog, when the new Cherokee was revealed, many commenters openly groused about the name choice – but not because of its Native American ties. The issue for many, it would seem, is that this new model represents such a radical departure from the long-serving, much-loved XJ generation, that it has been deemed to not be an appropriate fit.

Do you have a problem with Jeep bringing back the Cherokee name because you think it’s culturally insensitive, or is this much ado about nothing? Head over to The New York Times to read the piece for yourself, then vote in our poll below.

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Jeep Cherokee name revival reignites question of cultural insensitivity [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Toyota, Ram

2013 PickupTrucks.com Light Duty Challenge

PickupTrucks.com has gone and thrown the latest batch of half-ton pickups into a cage match to see who would come out on top. The site put the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2013 Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan through a battery of tests. Those included 0-60 miles per hour acceleration, 60-0 mph deceleration, fuel economy, a hill climb, and payload and towing. They even threw the rigs on an autocross course to evaluate overall handling. Each truck was given points based on how it scored in each evaluation.

Who came out on top? Somewhat surprisingly, the 2013 Ford F-150 walked away with the gold, though fewer than 50 points separated first and fourth place. Head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full evaluation and the final results. You may be shocked to see exactly where some of the segment’s newest additions placed. You can also watch a video on the test below.

Continue reading PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: Meet TVR’s new owner and learn his plans for the future

Filed under: Performance, UK, Luxury, MISC

TVR Sagaris

It’s hard not to be worried about the reborn TVR. The company’s new owner, entrepreneur Les Edgar, recently sat down with PistonHeads to discuss his plans for the fabled brand. Unfortunately, Edgar was no less dodgy about the future of TVR in his latest interview than he has been in the past. Evasive on everything from what the TVR brand means to him to which of the company’s cars he’s owned in the past, the former video game developer is either the most cautious individual to ever get into the automotive manufacturing game or is woefully unprepared for his new undertaking.

When asked what’s at the heart of TVR, Edgar responded, “I think it’s the people that buy them. We’re looking [for] a demographic that is probably different from what it was 15-20 years [ago]. We build cars that hopefully people want to buy, and they may not be the same type of people that bought them 10 years ago. At the base of it – the DNA – has got to be the same thing running through.”

Right.

Edgar then went on to dance around the question of what that DNA is, exactly. You can check out the full interview by heading over to PistonHeads. We sincerely hope we’re wrong about Edgar and his intentions for the brand, but the executive’s early comments haven’t quite passed our sniff test.

Meet TVR’s new owner and learn his plans for the future originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speed Read: The Man in the White Suit by Ben Collins (The Stig)

Filed under: Celebrities

The Man in the White Suit by Ben Collins

It’s been over four months since racer Ben Collins officially outed himself as the skill behind The Stig’s otherworldly driving talent. And, despite the bellyaching of fans and critics all around the globe, both Top Gear and life itself have continued to trundle on as if nothing ever happened. Sure, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have been forced to visit a Stig farm to find a new tame racing driver, and yes, they’ve even taken to gunning down cardboard cutouts of their former compatriot, but by and large, Top Gear itself is no worse off for no longer having the white suit on board.

Readers are given the best explanation as to why Collins turned his back on Top Gear.

Despite controlling our news cycle for what felt like seven eternities, Collins has rather quietly picked up a gig with rival UK car show Fifth Gear, leaving plenty of us to wonder what could possibly cause someone to give up a life of driving the world’s quickest cars in some of the most amazing scenery our planet has to offer. Fortunately, the former Stig worked up The Man in the White Suit ($26.95 on Amazon)- a quick memoir that includes everything from his stint as an army reservist to his trials on the world’s various race circuits. There’s even a good bit on the man’s time on Top Gear as the silent wheelman we all know and love.

Now that the dust has settled around the whole Stiggate fiasco, we settled in to give The Man in the White Suit a full read. Tucked between stories of training Tom Cruise to beat the life out of a reasonably priced car and vaporizing a Koenigsegg while attempting to put the supercar around Dunsfold in the quickest time possible, readers are given the best explanation as to why Collins turned his back on Top Gear for good.

Continue reading…

Continue reading Speed Read: The Man in the White Suit by Ben Collins (The Stig)

Speed Read: The Man in the White Suit by Ben Collins (The Stig) originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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